The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1887-06-11


and other evenings following if necessary. SO
that the amended ordinance can 60 back to the
Council week from Monday night 1t is very
will be eliminated. and that the only change in
the prices submitted by the Standard Oil Com
pany will be small reductions in some cases and
about % per cent. in others.
The Prices of Natural Gas and Coal.
To the Editor Of the Indianapolis Journal
In the interest of q more perfect understand
ing of the schedule of prices proposed by the
Standard Oil people, desire to correct the fol
lowing erroneous statement made in the News
of last night. The statement is based upon a
six-room house. The author did not vouchsafe
q detailed statement OF the cost of heating a
house, but put it in at lump sum of $50 %.
We are not told whether this sum represents
two, three or four fires. deny that it repre-
sents the actual cost OF coal. coke wood for
three fires. But upon the supposition that it is
based upon three coal fires, and that IL ia the
actual cost for that number still the schedule of
prices for gas for the same heat is lower than
the coal price given above IL must not be for
gotten that fire in base-burper AIDE by a
No. mixer. will heat two rooms, provided there
10 an opening between them. One base-burner
two coal base.burners. This being so. the
following Is the result of the cost OF the two
fuels:
Heating six rooms with coal. $50 25; heating
same with gas, schedule price, $40 so; difference
In favor of gas $l775.
The News in the same statement. schedules.
coal fire at $14 80 per year. If this means
that FIRE to heat a stting-room during the fall.
winter and spring months will cost only $14 so,
when it 10 heated by coal, the statement Is mis-
leading An ordinary base-ourn will consume
from four to five tons of hard COAL this at 81 a
ton will cost from $28 to s35. Add to this the
handling. say at % cents ton and the rehan-
ding when il is consumed. say at 25 cents more,
and you have total cost of from $50 to S31
year. instead of as calculated by the News
article. In this calculation handling the ashes.
the soot dust and smoke. etc, Is not included
In burning gas you are entirely free from all
these annoying agencies
The true statement, therefore, ought to be as
follows: Cost of ase-burner, coal price, one
year, average, $33 30; cost of gas schedule
price, $2l; difference in favor of gas. s12. so.
Again, 1t is said in the News article, that two
coal fires on the price which the correspondents
gives, but upon what basis he does lot say, will
cost 500 year. am unable. and SO are the
readers of the News, to understand what kind Of
coal fires are referred TO. have never been
able to two coal fires for year at the sum
Of e29 That number generally costs me twice
that sum- l do not believe that any intelligent
citizen of this city will be hoodwinked by any
such statement
The actual fact is that the proposed schedule
Of prices will cost the consumer approximately
as follows
Cook stoves, per year --..-----.---....$19.5 so
One other fire for sitting-room. 81 90
Total for year ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS $40. so
These two fires will heat an ordinary six-room
house, and will furnish more heat aud more
comfort for that sum than has ever been ex-
perienced by any family in the use of coal or
wood.
A nine or ten-room house without a furnace
can be heated with gas, at the schedule price. as
follows:
Cook stove and sitting room. ..S4o5 so
Extra heat for parlor for four months. 600
Total. $4,000
Add to this sum such amount as would be
required in the bedrooms. not to exceed say
thirty days during the winter. by No; mixer,
and You will have the total cost OF S48. so By
examining these figures, any one will see that
the distorted statements made by the News's
correspondent were wide of the mark.
1T must not be forgotten that the amounts
above set forth are based upon the schedule in
the proposed ordinance. Colonel Payne stated
pose of the Standard Oil people to charge
schedule prices, but to start in on lower rate
If the supply of gas is sufficient and could be
obtained, and that company succeeded in piping
this city. the prices would be lower from time to
time the consumers increased, and the prices
would not be advanced unless the supply dimin-
ished.
The News's correspondents forget that natural
gas is simply the competitor of wood and coal.
No company piping gas to the city can Cypress
it's people SO long as wood and coal can be pur-
chased II natural gas was the only fuel there
might be more reason In the cutlery of
monopoly and oppression" No one
of wood and coal by law. Such a proposition
would not be entertained for moment by any
community. 1t is competent for city to reeu-
late the measurements of wood and the weight
Of coal so that it's citizens may get full cord Of
wood and full ton of coal from the dealer.
But the price at which the article is sold re-
mains q purely private matter between the con-
sumner and the dealer. In the face of this fact,
when il is proposed to bring a much better and
cheaper fuel for sale to the citizens of Indianap
OILS hue and cry Is set MP that such thing
must not be done unless the City Council fix
maximum price at which the gas shall be sold to
Its consumers. Let it be further understood
az n a md MIR at-
ural gas which b as been pped by the Standard
Oil people, there is but one city that
hSs Tsss sSa s,v price sn for as
the maximum price there fixed was 70 cents per
1000 cubic feet Notwithstanding this maxi
mum price. the company is selling it's gas to the
citizens Of Buffalo at 20 cents Dor ], 900 cubic |
feet, without competition. and the Standard Oil |
Com pany has offered to do the same here.
II meter measurement 10 desirable the |
Standard Oil people have said all the time that |
they willing to furnish it on that system
When the whole matter is summed mp, there is |
this difference only between the Standard Oil |
people and what the citizens of indianapolis |
seem TO demand, viz: the Standard Oil people |
prefer the mixer system. without any limitation |
ing that this is the true basis upon which all |
business should be transacted; but they say if |
the citizens Of Indianapolis want the meter sys-
tenn, they will furnish natural gas that way.
The citizens of Indianapolis seem to wanta maxi
mum price fixed, and the Standard Oil people |
say. in answer, IF you fix a maximum,
NIX IL ulRu enough, 80 tuaL the money bna6
we put in plant will not be jeopardized and |
the business which we seek to build up ruined.
This Is the whole question. The Councils are to
answer. IL they pass an ordinance under which
any company can work, they ought to do at
once; IL the coal dealers to have another
harvest this winter, and the Councils willing
that such shonld be the case, let them act at
once and put the matter at rest.
In closing / may say that Indianapolis will
have gas sooner later. If the Standard Oil |
Company does not bring it here some other
company will. But undertake to say that no
firm or individual will bring gas to
the city OF Indiana polls unless such an ordi-
nance is passed as will afford reasonable pro-
lection to the amount of money required to
bring IL here. CONSUMER"
Matter of Infalibility.
To the Editor of the indianapolis journal.
Why do you doubt the lnfallibihty Of the